Humans interface with electronic and mechanical devices in a variety of applications, and the need for a more natural, easy-to-use, and informative interface is a constant concern. In the context, humans interface with computer devices for a variety of applications. One such application is interacting with computer-generated environments such as games, simulations, and application programs. Computer input devices such as mice and trackballs are often used to control a cursor within a graphical environment and provide input in these applications. In some interface devices, force feedback or tactile feedback is also provided to the user, collectively known herein as “haptic feedback.” For example, haptic versions of joysticks, mice, gamepads, steering wheels, or other types of devices can output forces to the user based on events or interactions occurring within the graphical environment, such as in a game or other application program.
In portable computer or electronic devices, such as laptop computers, mice may be inconvenient or too large to utilize. As a result, more compact devices such as touchpads, which are small rectangular, planar pads provided near the keyboard of the computer, are often used. The touchpads sense the location of a pointing object by any of a variety of sensing technologies, such as capacitive sensors or pressure sensors that detect pressure applied to the touchpad. The user contacts the touchpad most commonly with a fingertip and moves his or her finger on the touchpad to move a cursor displayed in the graphical environment. In other embodiments, the user can operate a stylus in conjunction with the touchpad by pressing the stylus tip on the touchpad and moving the stylus.
Application of force feedback or tactile feedback, commonly collectively known as haptic feedback, to touchpads is known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,280,205 to Rosenberg et al., assigned to the same assignee of the present disclosure and the disclosures of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a touchpad with at least one actuator coupled thereto that outputs a force to provide a haptic sensation. FIG. 1, which is reproduced from Rosenberg et al., illustrates a touchpad 102 that is directly coupled to a grounded piezo-electric actuator 104 which operates to produce a force on the touchpad when an electrical signal is an input to the actuator. Rosenberg et al. discloses that the touchpad can be coupled only to the actuator, or can be additionally coupled to housing 106 of the computer device at other locations besides the actuators with compliant connections using a material or element such as a spring or foam (not shown in FIG. 1). A compliant connection allows portions of the touchpad to move in response to actuator forces and to convey the haptic sensations to the user more effectively.
There are significant size restraints for components positioned between a touchpad and a housing. A need exists in the art for improved and/or alternative compliant suspension systems for haptic touchpads.